Two Sunday D.W.I. Arrests in East Hampton

Two East Hampton men were arrested over the past week on drunken-driving charges after failing roadside sobriety tests, according to East Hampton Town police.

Segundo M Balboa Tenesaca, 32, was pulled over on Spring Close Highway, East Hampton, early Sunday morning after officers saw his 1999 Nissan Pathfinder swerving across lane lines. He claimed to have had only one beer, but back at Wainscott headquarters his blood-alcohol content was reported to be .14. The legal limit is .08.

In addition to the D.W.I. charge, a misdemeanor, he also faces a misdemeanor charge of unlicensed driving, along with a couple of moving violations.

In East Hampton Justice Court later that morning, Mr. Balboa Tenesaca told Justice Lisa R. Rana that he was from Ecuador and had been in this country for seven years. She set bail at $350; it was posted later that day and he was released.

The week’s other D.W.I. arrest also occurred on Sunday. Police stopped Matthew J. MacPherson’s 2004 Chevrolet that night on Cove Hollow Road for crossing lane lines, according to the report. His blood-alcohol content was said to be .16.

Mr. MacPherson, 25, was represented in court Monday morning by Edward Burke Jr., who told Justice Rana that the young man had spent his entire life in the town. He pointed out that Mr. MacPherson’s family was in the courtroom, and told the court that his client had “fully cooperated” with police during and after his arrest.

Justice Rana agreed that Mr. MacPherson was not a flight risk and released him without bail, but with a future date on the court calendar.

Both men’s blood was tested using the town force’s newest piece of equipment, an Intoxilyzer 9000, which replaces the department’s 5000-series machine that had been in use here for almost 20 years. At just 12 pounds, the new machine is smaller and lighter than the old one and could potentially be used in the field. It is said to retain far more information than the 5000.

About the Author

T.E. McMorrow began freelancing for The Star in 2009, before coming on staff, full time, at the end of 2011. He is a member of the Drama Desk in New York. His book, “Nutcracker in Harlem,” illustrated by James Ransome, is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2017 by HarperCollins children’s division.